


ACE OF SPADES.

by oecty



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band), Stray Kids (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Betrayal, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Borderline Personality Disorder, Card Games, Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Faked Suicide, Forced Betrayal, Fucked Up, Gun Violence, Hunters & Hunting, Insanity, Loss of Control, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Disintegration, Mind Games, Mind Manipulation, Multi, Murder, Nerve Inspired, Partial Mind Control, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Protective Team, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Role-Playing Game, Stabbing, Team Dynamics, Team Up, Video Game Mechanics, alice in borderland inspired, based off movies and tv series, forced participation, heavily influenced by alice in borderland, hunter becomes the hunted type thing, multifandom - Freeform, or somewhat video game mechanics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:53:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28889415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oecty/pseuds/oecty
Summary: In Seoul,The Ace Of Spadesis the entire city's game to play. All its citizens watch in anticipation as the collection of players fight against time and an evil mastermind to save their friend’s lives. Jimin is fighting for Yoongi, the only friend he’s ever known. Taehyung is playing to save the only family he has left. Everyone else is just roped into the chaos. And above it all sits the Ace and his King — the mysterious patriarch that has orchestrated a game destined for blood, death and untimely bonds forged by the hand of desperation.Life is a deck of cards and the players are dealt the poorest hand. And only one can win.ON HIATUS AS OF 210131
Relationships: Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Taehyung | V/Park Jimin
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue: The Game

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Alice in Borderland](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/746334) by Yutaka Yamada, Haro Aso. 



> depending on whether this gets finished or not, you're in for a ride :) this has to possibly one of the most complex stories I've written. its not so much the plot or the characters but how much is going on. this thing is jam-packed and i know I'll be brain dead after this (maybe) is finished. depending on whether i have the willpower to do so. lol.
> 
> uhhh, this is also probably one of the most fucked up stories I've written. this may seem like a spoiler but you won't understand until you've read it, but everyone is insane or driven to it. DO NOT read if any of the above tags bother you. i have no intentions of making this fic easy to read. as an author, it is my duty to make readers feel and i'm going to try my very best to make you.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: this is a piece of fiction and does not under any circumstance correlate to any real beings. names being shared is entirely coincidental.
> 
> read at your own risk :)

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

_Hello streamer._

_Welcome to The Ace Of Spades._

_You are now a registered viewer of The Ace Of Spades._

_Please enter your name._

**JEON JEONGGUK**

_Welcome, JEON JEONGGUK._

_Would you like to continue?_

_**YES** NO_

_Which PLAYER would you like to stream live?_

_HWANG Hyunjin, HAN Jisung, PARK Sooyoung (JOY), SONG Seunwan (WENDY), KIM Taehyung, PARK Jimin_

**_PARK Jimin_ **

**_SELECTED PLAYER [PARK Jimin]_ **

_You can select to view other players during stream._

_Please view the GAME RULES text below before continuing._

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

**_THE ACE OF SPADES_ **

####  _**HIERARCHY** _

There is only one ‘ **Ace** ’ who is known as the _GAME MASTER_. The Ace holds the 3 ‘ **Queen’s** ’ captive. The one ‘ **King** ’ operates the game. He watches over each round and tallies the survivors. The 4 hunters, who are known as the ‘ **Jack’s** ’ are the people who the Players have to run from during the game rounds. There are the **Players** , the people who have to complete the game levels and run from the Jack’s. The ' **Spectators** ' [YOU] are the people who watch the game. They are not allowed to interfere with the game. Elimination is imminent. 

_**GAME STRUCTURE** _

The game starts with all Players. Each of the players is live-streamed to the Spectators and Ace as they follow the clues or rules they are given to complete the game level. They can go individually or team with other Players and can gather resources to complete each level. If a Player is ‘tagged’ by a Jack, they’re eliminated from the game. If they don’t complete the level in the amount of time given, they are also eliminated. The only way to survive is to complete the level.

**_DIFFICULTY_ **

The difficulty levels are ranked by the suits of a card deck ranging from the numbers 1-4. The number shows the difficulty level, the suit shows what category of the level. 

1 = easy

2 = moderate

3 = hard

4 = deathmatch

**Hearts** is based on emotions and feelings like trust, betrayal and deception, **Diamonds** is based on wit and problem solving, **Spades** means it’s based on physical endurance and **Clubs** is based on individual missions.

_**PENALTIES** _

If a Player, Spectator, Jack or Queen breaks a rule, they are immediately eliminated.

####  _**AIM** _

The aim of the game is for the Players to play and complete all levels until they reach the final level. They will compete in a final trial to go up against the Ace and save the Queen’s.

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

_ Thank you for viewing The Ace Of Spades. _

_ Provided to you by WWH AI & Engineering. _

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

_ You are now being directed to the introduction of The Ace Of Spades. _

_Please wait._

_**LOADING...** _

_**CONNECTED!** _


	2. Bring The Pain On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Holy fuck," Jeongguk whispered to himself. "This is actually happening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe welcome~
> 
> i've realised the intensity of this fic is gonna change drastically within the first two chapters! also, i'm really excited to be writing abt skz and red velvet... it's my first fic that's not just bts. also, nearly 2 yrs with bts and one with skz!! maybe drabbles for both..? i'm not sure yet. 
> 
> anywayyy, i hope you enjoy!
> 
> ps. i understand this chapter is short but they will get longer. ew, i hate this length djbjashkdj :")

[ **PLAYLIST** ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mb7TPFWLnQ6MmGIYmNEJm?si=M5k4VebBSJKU8EbG1gRe_Q)

[ **MOODBOARD** ](https://twitter.com/oectycr/status/1352503401326682112)

* * *

**Bring The Pain On _(in the Zone)_**

The sky above Itaewon was illuminated by the neon fluorescent signs above the buildings, the district thrumming with the people of the nightlife. The streets were overloaded with bodies bristling against each other, submerging themselves in the rush of drunk adrenaline and high abandon. The air reeked of an abhorrent concoction of mixed vape flavours, tobacco, marijuana, vomit and alcohol, with a side of city pollution. It was nothing the people of Itaewon weren’t used to and most dismissed it. But Jimin wasn’t a regular there, so he was unfamiliar with the belly-baring tops and booty shorts the women wore, their eccentric makeup making their faces appear as bright pops of colour. Most men wore button-downs and jeans and Jimin felt a little bit better that he fit in with his bright pink hair and tight pants.

Beside him, Jeongguk and Yoongi were dressed similarly, huddled close together like three lost ducklings. They’d been forcing their way through the crowds for the past ten minutes and when Jimin was finally convinced Jeongguk had no idea where they were, they emerged in front of a club with a bright pink neon sign, claiming its name was _Serendipity_. Yoongi seemed to be calm and Jeongguk waved at the bouncer with a grin so Jimin felt a little out of place. Even inside where the beat of the music vibrated in the marrow of his bones, he felt a little wary. It was a little different after three rounds of soju and another three of tequila. 

They were celebrating. Yoongi had just been given a record deal at a huge entertainment company and this was the big break he’d been talking about for months. As an already esteemed creator on YouTube, many companies had taken notice of his talent. He had gigs all across Gyeonggi-do in underground shows and clubs with a similar nature to _Serendipity_. Jeongguk had been invited to co-host an international gaming convention in L.A after surpassing the record of 10 million subscribers on his gaming channel. It was a huge step in both of their lives and Jimin wasn’t going to allow himself to be left behind. He had just been given a position in the front line of the Styles of Dance World Tour and was participating in a bunch of opening acts for famous musician acts. In short, they were all kicking goals in their career and tonight was their night to let loose.

After all their hardships, they deserved a free night to live like kids and drink till they woke up the next day with their head in a toilet and no recollection of the night previous. It was a long time coming.

Jimin danced with Jeongguk, vision hazy and a little disjointed. His limbs felt foreign but Jeongguk’s hands kept him calibrated to the earth’s surface. Yoongi stood nearby, laughing as Jimin stumbled over Jeongguk’s foot and they doubled over in laughter, trying to pick up their dance but utterly failing. For all the years Jimin had known Yoongi and Jeongguk, they’d never had a proper chance to have fun like this. Maybe in high school but usually, Jimin was too bruised to even leave his house. He got fired from his first job after four months because he was too injured to attend. Not like it was his fault, to begin with, but he couldn’t say that.

He thought that maybe if it weren’t for the rain and the screeching metal, the truck sliding sideways towards his family car he wouldn’t have lost so much. But then, look at what he’d gained from it. Bruises under his skin, scars that wouldn’t show, a dark past, incessant fears and two of the best friends he could’ve ever asked for, as well as a career that would support him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t complain. He could mourn, grieve but never complain. 

“Hey,” Jeongguk said over the music. “You’re somewhere else. Come back here.”

Jimin glanced up, forcing a smile onto his face and Jeongguk squeezed his shoulder, pulling him out of the moshpit, signalling to Yoongi.

“Another round?” he asked, falling into step beside Jimin. He nodded eagerly, leaning over the bar as the bartender mixed them their drinks. And then people started screaming.

Jeongguk turned first, eyes fixed at the entrance as men in black with guns aimed to shoot infiltrated the club. He grabbed Jimin and Yoongi just as they noticed what was happening. As quickly as they could, they scrambled for the emergency exit, Jeongguk dragging them both by the collar and shouting for people to get out of the way. Jimin’s head was in a blur as he scrambled to keep up with Jeongguk but his feet ended up getting tangled with Yoongi’s and then they were lost on the floor amongst a forest of legs stampeding to safety. Yoongi clung onto him tight, the music drowned out by the frantic cries of girls stumbling in heels and men cowering behind tables. But the intruders were on a mission and they had their sights set on the targets, lying huddled on the floor. Jeongguk climbed up on a table, searching over the heads of people as the men closed in and he screamed for his friends but it was too late. The patrons were being herded out and Jimin and Yoongi were knocked in the back of their heads with the butt of the guns and dragged out the way they came in.

They were gone.

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

Taehyung never imagined the day where he would be picking up his sisters boyfriend from another girls place. Of course, the circumstances were a little different from what people would expect but he was still doing it, nonetheless. The weather had considerably darkened by the time he was in Joy’s street, rain making the asphalt glisten in the streetlights and thunder rumbled overhead as he peered out his windscreen with a growing frown. He was supposed to go walking with Yeontan tomorrow but the sky didn’t look very promising. 

Joy’s house looked dormant as he parked in the driveway but beyond one of the lit windows, he could see shadows moving quickly as he jogged up to the front porch, knocking hurriedly on the door. Joy’s mother, a stout woman in her fifties looked up at Taehyung and smiled before calling into the house for Seulgi and Hyunjin. He bowed politely when Seulgi waved goodbye and dragged Hyunjin to the car and Joy stood behind her mother with a coy smile. Taehyung waved at her, offering a smile and she waved back before the door was closed in his face and he could hear Joy’s mother scolding her behind the door.

“He’s too smart and handsome for you,” she said as Taehyung walked away with a scoff. “He graduated top of his class! And look at you, an average student trying to get his attention.”

He listened as Joy sighed before climbing in his car. “It’s not like that, Ma.”

Taehyung grinned but from the backseat, Seulgi leaned over and swatted him in the back of the skull. “That’s not fair, Tae!” she whined. “You’re not even into girls, why do you have to play her like that?”

Taehyung snorted and went to start the car but his hand slipped through space. Frowning, he looked down to see the key wasn’t in the ignition. In the backseat, Hyunjin peered over his shoulder as Taehyung rummaged in his pockets, frantically searching for his keys but they had disappeared.

“Taehyung?” Seulgi asked, poking her head through the two seats. “What’s going on?”

The entire street was suddenly shrouded in darkness and they all froze, peering out into the eerily still night. A shadow darted past Taehyung’s window and he flinched back, Hyunjin scoffing in disbelief behind him.

“This straight out of one of them fucking apocalypse movies, isn’t it?” he murmured. “We’re gonna fucking die.”

Seulgi smacked him in the arm, hissing for him to be quiet as Taehyung carefully opened his door, retracing his steps up to the front porch. Inside, the house was quiet. The street was still and not even a breeze bristled the leaves in the trees. His key wasn’t lying anywhere around and he cursed in frustration, turning to look back at the car, Hyunjin’s blond head poking out from the window.

“Maybe we should ask for a lift from Joy?” he asked. Taehyung chewed on his lip. The air was staid and cold, thick with the humidity of the rain, making his clothes cling to his body like a second skin. Shaking his head, he walked back to the car and locked all the doors.

“Tae?” Seulgi asked, clutching Hyunjin’s arm. “Taehyungie? Is everything okay?”

He shook his head. “Something’s wrong,” he said. “Out there. It’s not right.”

Hyunjin peered out the window, wary as his girlfriend huddled to him closer. 

“I can hotwire the car,” Taehyung said, ripping at the steering wheel cover. “I just- I need to get this off.”

An earsplitting sound of breaking plastic and screeching metal filled the tight space as Taehyung wrenched off the steering cover and found the wires that could start the car. He zapped them together carefully. The copper wires caught and a spark was generated. The car stayed silent.

“Taehyung,” Hyunjin’s voice was quiet. “There are people out there.”

“Fuck,” he hissed, zapping them together multiple times but still no start. Hyunjin was mumbling things about getting eaten alive by zombies and Seulgi was watching her elder brother in desperation, fingers clutching Hyunjin’s arm tight. Sweat beaded down Taehyung’s temples as he flung off his jumper and hunkered right under the steering wheel. Inside the car was hot, closed off to the world outside and filled with bodies overheating out of fear and anxiety.

“Taehyung,” Hyunjin warned. “Taehyung, Taehyung, fuck!”

Seulgi screamed as the window above Taehyung exploded and he was grabbed by the hair, being forced from the car. Hyunjin leapt out, Seulgi protesting in the backseat as the jagged pieces of glass scrapped up Taehyung’s back, leaving shallow cuts as he thrashed, trying to wriggle out the unknown person’s grip. He was tossed to the ground carelessly, looking up just in time to see his sister get dragged out of the car and a white cloth pressed to her face and she fell asleep almost instantaneously. Hyunjin was knocked out with the butt of a machine gun and Taehyung turned his head just in time to meet a steel-capped boot. His senses dimmed, struggling to hold on to his consciousness.

And then, the world went quiet.

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

When Jimin woke up, he had a raging headache and a sticky sensation coming from his temple. The ground beneath him was hard and uncomfortable, with smooth ridges beneath his hands. The air was thick with city pollution and beneath the layer of overcast, grey clouds, the sun beamed down. With a grunt, he rolled over and managed to blink his eyes open, flat on his stomach and peering at the heap of bodies in front of him. He counted five, six including himself and two of them were girls. They didn’t look like the people who’d cracked him in the side of a skull with a gun. Carefully, his fingers brushed the spot where the gun had hit and his fingers came away covered in a thick, crimson stain. He cursed and sat up, dusting off his jeans and shirt, looking at the people lying before him. 

They were lying in the middle of an intersection right in the centre of Seoul, a large billboard dark and vacant on the building above them. It was eerily quiet, empty cars left in the middle of the street and wads of paper and litter rolling across the streets with the breeze. The place seemed to be empty and Jimin detached himself from the group of unconscious people and scouted a small area. He approached the old bank, and his eyes caught a glimmer of something in the corner of his eye. Something red and shiny. Slowly, he stepped up to where he had seen then glimmer and reached out. His hand passed through a red barrier and then he was catapulted backwards, slamming to the road with a grunt, the asphalt grazing up his elbow. His fingers were burnt where they had passed through the strange forcefield and he knew if he tried stepping through he’d end up charred and dead on the other side.

“What the fuck,” he breathed. Where the hell was he? What had happened to everyone?

It was the same Seoul he knew but desolate. Deserted. He headed back to where he’d woken up and most of them were awake now. One of them was tall with long blond hair and he caught sight of Jimin first. He nudged the guy standing next to him, a girl clinging to his arm. The guy was the same height as the blond with black hair pushed back from his face. He had a bloody lip, wide and hooded eyes that were gazing at him curiously. The girl beside him had shoulder-length hair and an innocent face and she had a hand loosely clasped around his forearm. Jimin continued to walk over and suddenly the group was staring at him.

“We’re stuck in here,” he said. “I just went and looked around. We’re trapped in by some red barrier kind of thing. It burnt me when I put my hand through.” He held up his hand as evidence and one of the other guys with honey-brown hair frowned.

“Stuck?” he repeated. Jimin glanced at him for a moment before the tall man with the dark hair spoke up. His voice was deep, like the night sky and Jimin watched him expectantly.

“Who are you?” he asked, taking a step forward. “You weren’t here when we woke up.”

Jimin shrugged. “I woke up before you guys. Took a look around. The place is completely empty.”

The guy shook his head. “You didn’t answer my question.”

With a sigh, Jimin crossed his arms over his chest. “My name’s Park Jimin.”

The man peered at him for a long moment before holding out his hand. Jimin took it and they shook cautiously. “Kim Taehyung,” he said. Then, he pointed to the blond and the girl on his arm. “This is Hyunjin, my sister's boyfriend and Joy, my sister's best friend. Apparently, the two behind us are Han Jisung and Wendy.”

Jimin peered over Taehyung’s shoulder at Han who waved and Wendy nodded stiffly. Jimin looked around, blowing his bangs out of his face as the breeze blew it into his eyes. The six of them spun in a slow circle, letting the emptiness sink in. No planes flew overhead and birds were tweeting. They couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the city outside their area. Just when Jimin was going to speak, the billboard on the building above them lit up, a brain-piercing noise buzzing from the speakers. The screen was white and everyone turned into the glow, watching as a shadow approached the screen in the shape of a man, tall and prim.

“Welcome to the Zone, my dear players,” a voice boomed. The shadow finally stopped and a translucent foggy screen peeled back, revealing a tall man in a suit all black, caramel hair swept away from his forehead and the back of it long, sweeping down his collar. He wore black and gold-framed glasses, a single silver ring on his right-hand ring finger and a king pinned to his lapel. He smiled down at them through the billboard and Jimin felt the prickling sensation he got when he was being watched. 

“I am Namjoon, the orchestrator of the game known as the Ace of Spades. But you may call me the King.”

Jimin glanced sideways at Taehyung, who shrugged at him. A flickering gaze from Joy was enough for him to guess that most of the people here were afraid of what was going to happen. But since Jimin had woken up he knew this was a place where there was no room for fear.

“You have been specially hand-picked by the Ace himself after months of study, proving yourselves to be the best entertainment for us and our viewers.” He clasped his hands in front of him with an excited smile. Suddenly, in the distance, Jimin could hear the faint buzzing of drones and he glanced back to see six black bots flying towards them. When they settled above each of their heads, mussing their hair, did the King speak.

“I will now explain the rules,” he said. “These drones are specially designed by a proud sponsor to follow the GPS trackers we have on your ankles.”

In the blink of an eye, all of them were lifting their pant legs and prodding at the small devices deadlocked to their ankles.

“They cannot be removed, no matter how hard you try. These drones will be sent out at the beginning of each game and will live broadcast each of you individually to the rest of our country. The structure of the game is simple. You are the players of the Ace of Spades. You will play each level to save the Queens.”

The view of the King was replaced to a still film of three people sitting stoically in thrones. Jimin spotted Yoongi, legs crossed and hands flat on the arms of the throne. He was sweating and his skin was pale, eyes boring into the camera as if he could see Jimin and was trying to get him a message. The other two people, a girl and a boy who the rest of the players seemed to know were sitting in the same position as Yoongi in their thrones. The cameras zoomed in on them as the King continued.

“The Queens will be kept here. They will be held hostage until you players have reached the final stage.”

Jimin froze. Yoongi wasn’t sitting with his legs crossed on purpose. They were held together, a long, thin metal nail piercing both of his thighs and holding them to the throne, as were his palms, blood seeping down the golden arms of the throne and pooling at his feet. The others were the same and one of the players gasped and another gagged. Then, abruptly the screen changed back to the King.

“Each game level will be ranked from one to four in different suits. Each suit stands for a different category of challenge — clubs are solo games, hearts are emotionally driven games, diamonds are based on your ability to solve problems and spades are physically driven. You are under the pressure of time and rules that will be given at the beginning of each game. As an extra obstacle for entertainment purposes, you will also be hunted by the Jack’s. If you get ‘tagged’ by a Jack, you will be eliminated from the game. If you fail to follow rules, you will be eliminated from the game. If you fail to complete the game within the time limit, you will be eliminated. We won’t take kindly to cheating. Execution will be immediate. If you try to escape the Zone, the drones that are constantly keeping track of your location will know and you will be executed as per rules. There is no escaping until the game is complete. And finally, I wish you good luck.”

The billboard cut out and was replaced with a black screen and in the middle, a timer that read **00:23:59:59**. Everyone sat in surprised silence, staring at the timer slowly ticking down to the time which Jimin assumed the first game would commence. Joy started sobbing quietly and Taehyung patted her shoulder as Hyunjin whispered quiet comforts. Wendy’s face was steely as she looked up at the billboard and Han was looking to Jimin. Suddenly, everyone was looking at Jimin. Since the moment he’d walked into the square after everyone had woken up, he’d been awarded authority. They’d found their leader.

(Which Jimin found hard to believe. What lunatic would put their faith in a 5’8 male with big lips and silver hair with a voice as high as Whitney Housten’s?)

“I’m not leading you in this.” he said. “But we have twenty-four hours. What for, I don’t know. But we should prepare for the worst.”

People glanced around each other, realising this entire part of the city, the _Zone_ as the King had called it, was at their disposal. Jimin took full advantage of it and set off on his own as the others decided amongst themselves what to do. He made note of all the things he needed and drilled it into his head— comfortable clothes that were easy to run in, combat boots, knives or any weapons, food and any battery-powered tools that could come in handy. He was thinking about which one of the apartment buildings he was going to break into when someone jogged up behind him. He wasn’t sure what part of “I’m not leading you” they didn’t understand. Park Jimin wasn’t helping anyone. Call him selfish or an asshole but he was playing for himself, for Yoongi. He didn’t care what happened to the rest. He had too much to lose to try and help other people.

He glanced to his right as Taehyung sidled up to him, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. His shaggy hair was caught in his lashes and moved when he blinked. It was making Jimin’s eyes water. He looked away before it bothered him further.

They walked mostly in silence and Jimin broke away from him in one of the department stores, changing into cargo pants and pulling off his dress shirt to swap it with something else. He browsed around shirtless until he found something tight and comfortable, a simple black t-shirt. Subconsciously, he went for darker colours and was just about to pull on his shirt when Taehyung rounded the corner. His arms were full with short knives that were made for the kitchen but perfect weapons to be concealed beneath clothes. One of them clattered to the floor as he froze, Jimin standing perfectly still and watching him with cold eyes, even as the blush started to creep across Taehyung’s cheeks.

“Are you done staring?” he asked, pulling on the shirt. Taehyung cleared his throat and bent down to pick up the knife on the floor but only dropped more of them. With an irritated sigh, Jimin hunkered beside Taehyung, picked up a bunch of the knives and looked around before dumping them in a bag. Taehyung was bashful as he mumbled an apology. Jimin grunted in acknowledgement, browsing through the boots.

“You should change into more comfortable clothes,” he said. “It’ll be easier for you to run or fight if need be.”

“Figures,” Taehyung replied and Jimin cast him a cold glance. He blushed again and stumbled over his words. “I mean— just, judging from you— yeah, that’s a good idea,” he settled with.

Jimin merely nodded as he pulled down a pair of combat boots Jimin had seen Jeongguk wear once. A sharp stab of pain hit him in the chest and he frowned as he did up the laces. Taehyung followed Jimin’s actions and changed hastily into an outfit similar to his own but kept on his sneakers. 

“How’d you get here?” Taehyung asked conversationally. “I mean, what happened for you to get here?”

“I was out with friends,” he stated blandly. Taehyung looked at him, expecting for him to elaborate. With a sigh, Jimin continued. “We were in Itaewon, planning on getting fucked up before our jobs consumed our lives. We’d all been promoted and wanted to let loose before Yoongi became a big shot producer, Jeongguk was known worldwide and me probably never really being home for more than a week. They were big goals but costly one’s, so a celebration was due. And then these guys, wearing masks with machine guns walked in and chased everyone else. Yoongi and I got tramped and I remember seeing Jeongguk on a table looking for us… and then I blacked out. I assume I got hit on the head. My temple was bleeding when I woke up.”

Taehyung nodded, brushing back a bit of Jimin’s bloody and sodden hair to inspect his wound. “You should clean it,” he murmured. “But my experience was similar. I was picking up my sister and Hyunjin from Joy’s when someone stole my car keys. And then the power in the street blacked out and Hyunjin saw people outside the car. They smashed my window and dragged me out. Hyunjin jumped out and they knocked us all and I assume they dumped us here with the rest of you.”

Jimin hummed in thought, spotting some blood on the back of Taehyung’s hand and a long, shallow cut up his arm. “Did that happen too?” he asked, pointing at the blood. Taehyung titled his head to get a proper look and shrugged.

“Must’ve happened when they dragged me out of the window. Are there any on my back?”

Jimin signalled for him to turn and he lifted his shirt. Nestled amongst fine back muscles and smooth, honeyed skin, long and shallow grooves had been carved into Taehyung’s back. They’d scabbed over mostly but some were still sticky. 

“There’s a few,” Jimin said. “You might need to put some ointment on them but they should be fine. Maybe a little scarring.”

Taehyung turned with a smirk. “Well, chicks dig scars don’t they?” he said.

Jimin gave a lazy, half-shrug. “I’m not a chick.”

Taehyung’s smile faltered as he watched Jimin wander off, looking for more necessities. He’d said it as a joke but something in the way Jimin had responded had changed its intentions a little. Maybe it was him asking if Jimin dug scars. But that was stupid.

Taehyung hurried to follow him and kept asking more questions to fill the heavy silence. “Who are you playing for?” he asked. “That King guy mentioned he chose us specifically. And my sister was up there one those… thrones.”

Jimin turned. “That was your sister?” he asked. Taehyung nodded, face suddenly grim.

“They nailed them to the fucking seats. What kind of torture method is that?”

Jimin nodded in agreement. “My friend Yoongi was up there. The blond one.”

Taehyung nodded. “I’m worried about my family at home. I mean their son and daughter are in some sadists game. They’d probably be shitting themselves. I’m shitting myself. It’s pretty much life or death and I _have_ to save my sister.”

Jimin didn’t respond and Taehyung’s eyes flickered over to him. His jaw was set and his eyes were cold and staring straight ahead. He was walking stiffly, like his joints didn’t work properly and Taehyung wondered if it was something he said.

“At least Hyunjin, Joy and I are all fighting to save the same person,” he said. “And I’m guessing Han and Wendy are fighting to save that other guy too. But you’re alone. So, if you want… I can help you too. I’ve got enough people on my side.”

“I don’t need help,” Jimin said.

Taehyung shrugged. “I’m sure you don’t need help to survive,” Taehyung said. “But to survive and save someone else? It’s good to have an extra set of hands.”

“You have to save your sister,” he insisted. Taehyung noticed Jimin’s icy expression but wasn’t planning on giving in.

“I want to save everyone,” he said. “And so that means I want to help you.”

For a long time, Jimin was quiet. It was unearthly, to be walking through an empty city, footsteps echoing through the streets. It was like a completely new, alien world, an abandoned dystopian city left for the dead. Seoul wasn’t so pretty when it was quiet and uninhabited. Taehyung let Jimin mull over his words before feeling the glare on his cheek. He turned and fuck if looks could kill.

“I don’t trust you,” Jimin said. Taehyung shrugged.

“You don’t have a choice, do you? It’s either you work with or against us.”

With a long sigh, Jimin resigned. “Fine.”

Taehyung smiled and they stopped by an empty pharmacy and Jimin rubbed some creams onto Taehyung’s back wounds. He hissed in pain but remained still until it was his turn to gently dab at the cut on Jimin’s temple with a swab of cotton and antiseptic. He didn’t move until Taehyung said he was finished before popping some paracetamol tablet to dull the throbbing in the side of his skull before following Taehyung back to the square. 

Everyone seemed to have the same idea and stocked up on essentials before they all agreed to stay in the same building. Jimin chose a room away from everyone else. Most of them shared and stayed close to the stairwell. He chose a room in the corner with the most windows, a balcony and a perfect view of the billboard right below his bedroom window. None of the electricity was working but the gas was and Jimin used the stove in the empty kitchen to boil some water for cup ramen. Han comes around at some point to talk to Jimin and he develops some sort of pity for the people there. He realised, after talking to Han that most of them were so young. They still had a life to live and now they were forced into a game that would more than likely end it. 

Han was only twenty years old. He’d barely started adulthood, barely had the chance to live. It broke Jimin’s heart just a little think about what would happen if they didn’t all make it. If _Yoongi_ didn’t make it.

That shook Jimin. Yoongi and Jeongguk were the only two people he held close, the only truly valuable things in his life. They were all he had to live for. And if either of them died, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

He couldn’t.

The entire night, he stayed up alone thinking about how he would get Yoongi and get the fuck out of this wretched game. He would take a stab at fate too and try to drag down whoever started the game before making his great escape. Saving Yoongi was all that was on his mind. And he would stop at nothing to get it.

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

Jeongguk didn’t sleep. 

After the men with the guns subdued Jimin and Yoongi, he fought his way through the crowds to get to them. And then they were gone. Everything that happened after that was a blur. He made it home, eventually and lay on his bed till the sun lit up the sky and the shocked haze that fogged his mind cleared. He still felt the phantom of Jimin’s hand in his as they ran, his fingers scraping down his palm as he fell, calling his name desperately. He remembered seeing Yoongi pulling Jimin into his body, shielding each other from the stampede of feet surging for the exit. What he didn’t remember was how he got his bloody knuckles, the cut on his eyebrow and split lips. He didn’t remember when his ribs had become so sore and it felt like he’d just fought for his life.

Things like this had happened in his childhood. His parents thought it was just his personality and he would get punished for his wrongdoings, even when he cried that he couldn’t remember how their family bird ended up headless, how the neighbour's cat ended up tangled in his bicycle wheels, how his sisters Barbie dolls had shaved heads and their eyes cut out. As he grew, he started to realise why he did things he couldn’t remember. His parents had interesting backgrounds, his father's mother a renowned for her psychosis in the mental ward and his mother on pills for her anger management. He managed to figure out that maybe he suffered the same fate as them.

During high school, he would get in fights and have no recollection of them a few hours later when he woke up after blacking out. After his third high school transfer, did he meet Yoongi and Jimin. He was in an alley, bruised and bleeding when they prodded him awake. He wouldn’t go home no matter how much they urged him to and for three days, they nursed him until he could walk without wincing. He returned home to an empty house and a note in the kitchen saying the family had moved back to Busan and there was money they left for him to either start a new life in Seoul or catch a train to Busan where he could try and redeem himself.

That night he crawled back to Yoongi and Jimin's apartment, distraught and they helped him pick his life back up. He’d never had an episode since but now as he finally became aware of himself and his space, it seemed to have happened again. Trying to regain control of his mind and arrange his thoughts into a somewhat organised fashion, he showered and threw on an all black outfit, a mask and pulled up his hood. Even if it should have been getting warmer now that winter was over and spring should be coming, it felt like snow should be falling still. His phone had been bombarded overnight by his tech friends and their hub was where he headed now. Chan’s father had an account for his son in which he deposited leftover funds and money that usually stayed untouched unless it was to pay for the electricity bill for the secret bunker he had underneath a warehouse most likely owned by some rich crime syndicate. But they didn’t bother him and the people who frequented the bunker stayed out of their way.

On an early morning, the warehouse was mostly empty as he entered from the side door and typed in the code for the bunker. The door beeped and clicked open as he descended the steps, emerging in an oasis of computers and security recordings, plasma TV’s mounted on the walls, the screens providing the only light in the room. At one end, where a long sofa was placed in front of a seventy-five inch TV, Chan sat with his feet up on the coffee table, feeding himself steaming cup ramen, hand reaching into the mini-fridge and cracking open a can of beer. He looked up at Jeongguk as he pulled his hood down and sat up, muting the TV which spoke of a bunch of disturbances which seemed to be linked. 

“Jeon,” he said, wiping his mouth as he stood. “I didn’t think you were—”

“Jimin’s gone,” he said. “So is Yoongi.”

Chan froze, looking back up at the TV, just as it flicked over to a report on the invasion of a club in Itaewon. Jeongguk snatched the remote and unmuted the TV as it spoke of unknown forces storming and subduing two patrons. Chan looked at the photos they showed of Jimin and Yoongi and Jeongguk then, showing security footage of them arriving then some of Jeongguk trying to chase them out only to get trampled by the rest of the crowd. Chan sat up and looked over at him, placing his ramen and beer on the table.

“They’re gone?” he asked in disbelief. Jeongguk looked at him for the longest time before anything was said. “Do you think they’re dead?”

“What the fuck?” he asked and Chan flinched back. “No, I don’t think they’re dead, dickhead. I think they’ve been taken and I’m going to get them back.”

Chan paused and nodded, scratching the back of his messy dark hair. “Do you want help, then?”

Just as Jeongguk went to tell Chan about his plan to save Jimin and Yoongi, the TV glitched and blurred and a ringing filled the room. Both of them froze as all the screens in the room did the same thing and they were surrounded by a multitude of mirrored screens. A foreign emblem with an ace of spades appeared on the screen, a rusted red text fading in from the darkness.

_The Ace Of Spades._

Jeongguk frowned and stepped forward as a tall man with broad shoulders and light brown hair smiled at them through the many screens. He was wearing a black turtleneck and maroon blazer, tailored to fit him perfectly. Chan was frozen beside Jeongguk as the man on the screen spoke.

“Good morning citizens of South Korea,” he said. “My name is Kim Seokjin and I am your host of the newest game to be released this year.”

Chan and Jeongguk exchanged glances before leaning in to listen.

“The game is called The Ace Of Spades and everyone is invited to participate. All members of this real-life game are valuable to the end goal and I am proud to announce that _you_ , my friends, are the beloved Spectators. Your role in this cutthroat competition is to support our Players from the sidelines and cheer on _your_ favourite. It is important for you to remember, however, that any interference made by a Spectator will call for punishment.”

“Holy shit,” Chan breathed as the screen transitioned to the centre of Seoul, abandoned and quiet. It was a ghost city, papers rolling over the street in the soft breezes, not a single bird in the sky. Overcast clouds rolled in from Incheon and cast a shadow over the skyscrapers. They were like limbs of the landscape being shrouded in a dark, heavy blanket, suffocating all the life out of it until there was nothing left. Except…

There was.

Jeongguk lurched forward, peering at the six small figures gathered in the centre of a crossing in front of a billboard. All of them were huddled together, watching as a man spoke to them from the billboard. Amongst those people, Jeongguk spotted Jimin.

“Jimin!” he said, turning to Chan. “Jimin’s in there!”

“Here you see are our beloved Players.” The screen flicked back to the man in the suit, Seokjin. “As a Spectator, you will observe them as they complete mandatory missions of the game until they reach the final stage — the Ace. But the final stage is barely a glimmer on the horizon. Right now, it is your job to register as a Spectator through the link shown now.”

A link flashed onto the TV screen. Suddenly, all the computers in Chan’s bunker redirected themselves to a strange website. As he went to investigate, Jeongguk watched as Seokjin smiled through the screen. He got a closer look at his face, finding familiar features he knew from somewhere but he couldn’t place where. 

“The first stage of the game will commence tonight at 11:30 PM KST. Register now as a Spectator to watch your favourite player tonight. And finally, as a parting thanks, I appreciate your participation. May God bless you all.”

The screen blanked and Seokjin disappeared. Jeongguk darted over to where Chan was struggling to find a way to exit the website but he was proven unsuccessful, no matter what he tried. 

“They’ve barred every exit route,” he explained. “You have no choice but to register.”

Jeongguk shoved him out of the way and started his registration. Chan looked at him as if he were insane.

“Are you stupid?” he asked. “This is the biggest hoax of the century! You’re really going to register?”

Jeongguk glared at him over his shoulder. “As far as we know, both Jimin and Yoongi are in this fucking game. We need to gather as much knowledge about it as we can to get them out of there.”

Chan looked like he was about to protest some more but then he noticed the desperation in his friend's eyes. He knew all too well how close he held Jimin and Yoongi to his heart. They were the people who nursed him out of misery, who saved him from himself and the demons that plagued his mind. He sagged in defeat and registered on the computer beside Jeongguk silently, even when the screen blanked like the TV and they stood in silence.

“What do we do now?” he asked, looking over as Jeongguk picked at the scab on his lip. He didn’t ask where it came from.

“We wait,” he said. “Call Seungmin and Irene and tell them to register and then to come over here. We need to find a way to hack into their streaming systems, find their IP addresses and go from there.”

Chan looked unsure. “That’s a big job, Jeon,” he said. “You know that Kim Seokjin guy? He’s the heir of WWH AI and Engineering. His father is some multi-millionaire tech genius. You really think we’ll be able to hack into their systems?”

Jeongguk shrugged. “With the four of us, I think we’ll manage.”

Chan laughed as he pulled out his phone. “You’re fucking insane, Jeon.”

Jeongguk shrugged again and booted up one of the computers. “I know.”

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

From his window, Jimin watched as the timer counted down.

Outside his room, he could hear everyone panicking and the fear surging through the floor. In the last five minutes, it reached him too, wrapping its ghostly tendrils around his heart and seizing until he stumbled to the bathroom and threw up in the basin. Bile burned his nostrils as he heaved up his stomach's contents, even when it was empty. As his body shook, he tasted blood in his throat, collapsing to the floor as he wiped his nose on his arm. Silent tears stained his cheeks as he shuddered, pure terror gripping his soul with mighty force. How the fuck was he supposed to save Yoongi? God, how was he supposed to save himself?

The door to his room opened and Taehyung’s voice drifted to him in the silence. He followed the light of the bathroom and the smell of vomit hit him as he saw Jimin’s foetal position on the floor.

“Hey,” he said, hunkering down beside Jimin. “Hey, come on. We have to go.” 

“I’m scared,” he mumbled into his arm. Taehyung softened, sitting beside Jimin on the floor and holding out his hand. Jimin let his fingers fall into Taehyung’s palm. 

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Taehyung whispered as Jimin sat up. He clasped the elder's fingers tightly. “We’re all scared. But everything will work out if we do this together. Come on.”

Jimin resisted as Taehyung tried pulling him up off the floor. And really, he felt pathetic but this just wasn’t right. He was being forced against his will to participate in a game that held his and multiple other people's lives on the line. And everyone else stood around and watched as if it was normal entertainment. His fear was replaced with rage.

“This is fucked,” he muttered under his breath, letting Taehyung pull him up. “What if someone gets hurt?”

“I thought you were in it for yourself,” Taehyung joked as they stepped out of the apartment. Jimin’s glare was chilling as Taehyung glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m not a goddamn monster,” he snapped. “Just because I’m selfish, doesn’t mean I don’t care about others.”

Taehyung peered at him closely before shrugging. “So if it came to the situation where you had to choose between yourself or another’s life, you would choose yours?”

Jimin shrugged. “If it was a situation where I would gain nothing if I survived, then no. But I’m fighting for Yoongi. Not myself. I would risk anyone for him.”

Taehyung nodded. “Fair enough.”

As they walked down the flights of stairs, Jimin noticed six red dots floating into the Zone. he realised they were the drones and each of them had chosen a spot in the intersection and remained stationary until he saw that the rest of the players had taken their positions. The timer was ticking the seconds down slowly, a minute and forty seconds to go before the first round began. His stomach clenched in anticipation, nothing left to vomit, only thin air.

Taehyung’s palms were sweaty and his hand trembled in Jimin’s but his face was a mask of steel. Jimin tried doing the same, preparing himself for the worst. He’d been so sure of himself earlier. But now? Now he wanted to cower and hide and wait for the worst to be over. His mind wandered to Yoongi, nailed to that ghastly throne, his blood pooling on the floor beneath him. He tried to imagine the elder's pain, his fear and used it to stimulate his nerves and pump up the adrenaline slowly making its way into his system. He needed to be ready. Ready to do what, he wasn’t sure. But he knew he had to be prepared to fight if necessary. 

And then he thought of Jeongguk and where he must be, what he was doing. He imagined that he was searching for Yoongi and himself. They were the anchors to his madness, the sedatives to his anger. He was a loose cannon without them both and Jimin hoped he could keep it together whilst he fought for the three of them. And now that it was on his mind, why was it him that had to be chosen to play this ridiculous game?

Jeongguk was strong. He had high stamina and endurance and was hard-headed and confident. He could fight his way out of any situation and was the fittest to save anyone. Yoongi was clever in ways the basic human mind couldn’t be. He saw things one level deeper and was always able to decipher any sort of pattern. Jimin… he was temperamental and cunning. But he wasn’t a fighter, even if he did have a black belt in taekwondo. 

They reached the bottom floor but before they walked out to join the others, Taehyung stopped and turned to face Jimin. His features were grave but his eyes were wide and emotional.

“Are you ready?” he asked, voice soft in the silence.

Jimin swallowed and steeled himself. His jaw clenched and suddenly he wasn’t the crying boy Taehyung had rescued from the bathroom but the cold man he’d been introduced to earlier that day. 

“Yeah,” he replied. “Let’s go.”

Finally, they emerged onto the street and immediately, two drones darted over, tracking them as they walked hand in hand to the middle of the street, standing beside Hyunjin and Joy. Jimin detached himself from Taehyung, the younger looking over at him briefly as the final seconds ticked down to zero. The screen went dark. 

The game had begun.

**♠ ♡ ♢ ♣**

“Are you sure you want to go home?”

Jeongguk looked over his shoulder at Irene who sat perched on the arm of Seungmin’s chair, round eyes peering at him in concern. He shrugged, turning back to the computer as he tried and failed to find the website they’d used to register as spectators. Chan had spent the entire day scrolling relentlessly through new blogs and conspiracy sites but they’d come up with just as much as everyone else did.

Nothing.

“Yeah,” he said finally, leaving his tabs open to resume the hunt tomorrow. “I’m fucking tired. I don’t know what I did last night but it feels like I’ve been hit by a train.”

Seungmin snorted from his chair, glancing over at Jeongguk as he stood, stretching his arms high above his head. “You look like it, too,” he joked. Jeongguk flipped him off as he patted Chan on the shoulder, dozing off in his chair and waved to Irene who sent him a finger heart. Aside from Jimin and Yoongi, these three were his only other friends. Growing up he’d been a major tech nerd, finding old electronics from dumping grounds and using them to repair old gaming consoles and even using what he found to make strange little devices that had no real purpose. He was a severe gamer too, spending hours on ‘the grind’ and climbing up the ranks of some of the best gamers in the country. That’s how he met Chan, playing COD at a local arcade. He was the only one to absolutely level him. Their friendship started off funny, Jeongguk threatening to hunt him down if he ruined his winning streak ever again but they slowly grew together until he’d been invited to the bunker. There he met Seungmin, the coding genius and Irene who could hack into just about any system put in front of her. 

They worked well together, combining their skills to do just about anything on the internet. They were basically famous on the dark web, too.

“Stay safe, Guk,” Irene called as he ascended the stairs. He didn’t respond, emerging into the warehouse which was still seemingly empty save for a few cars and massive firearm cargoes stacked on the far wall. The streets were nearly empty, as were the highways and roads, everyone huddled in their living rooms, waiting in anticipation for the first stream of The Ace Of Spades. Even the club venues were quiet and the pub's patrons all had their heads turned towards the TV screens. The entire country had put their lives on hold for this game that seemed to come out of the blue. And even though it was new, it had encapsulated everyone's attention. Not even the government had anything to say about the game. If people wanted to resist it, they were on their own.

It made Jeongguk even more determined to stop it.

But for now, with no knowledge on how to, he walked back to his empty apartment, misshapen and disorganised. The kitchen was left a mess with a week's worth of unwashed dishes and his bedroom hadn’t been slept in for God knows how long. The living room was the only place in his apartment that was remotely clean and he sat there now, flicking on his TV and immediately, the entire screen went white. Bold black text that read ‘LOADING’ appeared and he leaned back into his chair, waiting for it to connect. It seemed they’d hacked into the entire cities streaming devices and forced them into watching the game. A selection of players' names appeared and Jeongguk didn’t hesitate in selecting Jimin’s. The screen changed to an aerial view of the billboard and all the players. Jimin was nowhere to be seen. Jeongguk glanced at his watch, then at the timer on the billboard.

11:25 PM. Five minutes to go.

He sat on the edge of his sofa, knee bouncing nervously as the players watched the billboard in silence, the city dark around them save for the light of the moon hiding behind the clouds. It was going to rain. Jimin still wasn’t there.

Hurriedly, he pulled out his phone and called Chan as his teeth worried his bottom lip, causing the cuts to bleed. The moment he answered, Jeongguk bombarded him with questions.

“Are you watching? Jimin’s not there. Can you see him?”

There was a silence before Chan responded. “I can’t see him either.”

Jeongguk ran his fingers through his hair, cursing profanities until the timer was left with two minutes. He hung up on Chan and flung his phone across the room, glaring at the screen, trying to will Jimin to appear. The players had started to fidget and some of them were beginning to look around, probably noticing one of their players' absence. But then the drone moved and it was hovering above Jimin and another player holding his hand tightly.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Jeongguk sighed into the living room, collapsing back on the chair. He was dressed in all black, like he’d taken a leaf from Jeongguk’s book, wearing cargo pants, combat boots and a tight black t-shirt. There was a makeshift knife sheath on his forearm and he slipped on a black bomber jacket, shrugging it over his shoulders, glancing over at his friend. Jeongguk watched them like a hawk, even as Jimin dropped his friend's hand and looked up at the billboard, counting down the last ten seconds. Up in the top right corner of the TV screen, Jeongguk watches as the views rocket up to over 25 million live. Half the country was watching as the players were basically dragged to their deaths. Jimin’s friend grabbed his hand as the final three seconds ticked down.

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Jeongguk braced himself, watching as all six of the players tensed. The billboard went dark.

And then it lit up again, signalling the beginning of the first level.

“Holy fuck,” Jeongguk whispered to himself. “This is actually happening.”


End file.
